Bitter loss to local rivals rounds out Cambridge Women’s regular season
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
Waterloo, ON—After inclement weather cancelled the originally set faceoff between
these two local rivals, Cambridge and Waterloo met for their third and final time this
season at Rim Park.
Firmly sat in third place, Cambridge looked to spoil Waterloo’s first place finish by
keeping the home team’s three-point hopes at bay. After trailing in the first 2-1, and
then 3-1 early in the second, Cambridge would mount a push to equalize in the dying
minutes.
Sadly, their hopes of spoiling Waterloo’s afternoon dissolved after Waterloo
capitalized off of a controversial offside call and corresponding free kick that put
them in the lead 4-3 in the 95th minute. With one final push to tie Cambridge sent
everyone forward, unfortunately opening the door for Waterloo to secure first place in
the division with the 5-3 win.
Team
Cambridge United Starting XI: Mitchell, Mackie, Fraga (Lunshof 73’), Halley (Hunt
77’), Bruni (Richards 57’), Owen, Kraja (McCall 73’), Derry, Lariviere (Schade 80’),
Voutour, Heyes
Unused subs: Elliott, Townes
First Half
Once again both teams were evenly matched, the pair of division heavyweights
unwilling to give the other an inch of breathing room—intensity high and unyielding
from the first whistle.
Leading goal scorer Megan Voutour gave Cambridge the early 1-0 lead in the 7th
minute, finding the back of the net off of a rebound by Katie Halley who did well to pressure Waterloo’s
defense to regain possession and drive forward to meet the keeper one on one.
Waterloo found their response in the 23rd minute after one of the home side’s
forwards found herself in behind the back line and in on goalkeeper Shae Mitchell
alone to make it all square at one apiece.
Just before the close of the first half, Waterloo gained the on another ball in behind
Cambridge’s two centerbacks. Mitchell did well to stop the first shot, but the ball
found the back of the net off the rebound despite a sliding effort from Cassidy Derry
to keep the ball out.
The half ended with the score 2-1 in Waterloo’s favour.
Second Half
The second half saw no substitutions for Cambridge, though Waterloo opted to
change their goalkeeper.
The home team made it 3-1 in the 50th minute, but Cambridge was quick to lessen
the gap to one once again. Derry played a ball directly over top of the opposition to
the feet of Halley who drove it all the way down the right flank before placing a sharp
angled shot near post right into the upper netting to make it 3-2.
In the 57th minute, Cambridge’s Sophia Bruni was replaced by Shenasia Richards
for some fresh legs going forward to equalize. In this same vein, in the 73rd minute
Kay-Lynn McCall came in for Anastasia Kraja, Jordan Lunshof for Ava Fraga, and
Cassidy Hunt for Halley. Tayler Shade replaced Annick Lariviere in the 80th minute.
Lunshof, having previously scored when put in late as a forward, would stay on trend
and find the back of the net for Cambridge in the 83rd minute to make it 3-3.
Unfortunately, the visitor’s hopes of spoiling Waterloo’s title chances were dashed
after a controversial offside call and corresponding free kick resulted in Waterloo regaining the lead 4-3
in the 95th minute. With one last desperate push to secure the tie, Cambridge sent bodies forward,
leaving space for Waterloo to score in the 96th minute of the five minutes of extra time indicated by the
fourth official.
With this loss in their final regular season game, the Cambridge Women will have to
wait to hear whether playoffs are on the table after the first and second seed playoff
matchups for the Women’s League 2 side are completed.